Heartlines | Steve Rogers

XXII

TWENTY TWO
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"Steve, get over here."

The two of them rushed over to where Bucky was becoming conscious again. He seemed collected, but confused. Like he had no idea what he'd done considering he had no idea how he'd gotten where he was. Things like this made him hard to trust after everything he did, not that it was his fault. Meredith crossed her arms as she stood there watching him. He hadn't managed to hurt her— though he tried— but he'd hurt several people along the way. "Steve..."

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" He asked coldly.

"Your mom's name was Sarah." He said, then chuckled slightly. "You used to wear newspapers in your shoes."

"Can't read that in a museum." Steve commented, a small smile developing on his face. It seemed his memories had really came back to him, despite the hiccup of the doctor using his trigger words.

"Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?" Sam asked. He wasn't trying to be, but Meredith always found him hilarious. It was just the way he went about things. He sort of reminded her of Tony when it came to the manner in which they treat situations like this, always having something witty to say.

"What did I do?" He asked, using his other hand to rub his forehead. It seemed like it took a lot out of him, but that was to be expected. It probably brought up a lot of traumatic memories. Bucky had been through a lot, and Meredith felt bad for him. That's why she was here, and for Steve.

"Enough."

"Oh, God. I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words." Bucky shook his head, being hard on himself. She could tell he felt remorse about everything he's done. He didn't want this anymore, to be like this.

"Who was he?"

"I don't know."

"People are dead. The bombing, the setup, the doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than I don't know." Steve demanded. He knew Bucky wasn't feeling the best, but they needed to know. Whatever that guy was up to, they had to stop him and fast.

"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where." Bucky thought aloud as he recounted his memories, doing his best to help them out. It seemed he wanted to stop him as much as they did.

"Why would he need to know that?" Meredith asked, and all of them glanced over at her, as if she was speaking out of turn. She felt like she knew Bucky after everything Steve had told her, all the stories of their past lives. It didn't occur to her that he probably didn't even know her name.

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier." He revealed, answering her nonetheless.

"Who were they?" Steve continued.

"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum." He shook his head, knowing just how deadly these people were. Meredith let out a long sigh as she ran her hand through her long hair.

"They all turn out like you?" Sam asked. This was the first time he was really meeting him, too. The real Bucky, not the one who was trying to kill them or escape.

"Worse." He answered, almost shuddering at the thought. Bucky didn't seem like the type of person to be scared of anything. He could take on anyone he was faced with if he really wanted to, whether he was under or not.

"The doctor, could he control them?"

"Enough." He eyed Steve.

"He said he wanted to see an empire fall." Steve recalled from before. What did he mean? What empire? Or, was he just trying to over-exaggerate?